1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to a data entry apparatus and has particular application to text processing apparatus incorporating a keyboard and a video display on which text is displayed as it is entered from the keyboard.
2. Description of the Prior Art
In data entry, generally, and in text entry, in particular, data can be entered into the data or text processing system by means of a keyboard. As will be appreciated, most data entry equipment is designed to facilitate data entry row by row. It is sometimes necessary, however, for data to be entered column by column. As an example, a document being created on a word processing machine might require lists or tables to be entered within the text. Frequently it would be easier if these lists or tables were entered column by column rather than row by row. Such would be the case where an audio-typist is typing dictated text and where a table had been dictated column by column.
One of the basic aids used in data entry is the tab function. In a typewriter, for example, tab stops can be set up before text is typed. By pressing a tab key, the typewriter can be caused to index to the next tab position. Representative of recent magnetic media typewriters capable of handling a number of tabbing functions is the IBM Mag Card II Typewriter. In the IBM Mag Card II Typewriter, a required tab can be used to indent text. Thus at the beginning of a paragraph which is to be indented, a required tab is set by simultaneously depressing a CODE key and a tab key. After the first line of the paragraph has been typed, depression of the carrier return key will cause the type head to return to the left hand margin and then be automatically positioned at the set required tab position on the next line. At the end of the paragraph, the required tab instruction is cancelled by entering a required carrier return. A required carrier return is entered by simultaneously depressing the CODE key and the carrier return key. If the IBM Mag Card II Typewriter being utilized is provided with a "Reverse Index" optional feature, the platen can be indexed half a line in either an upward or downward direction. The reverse index function is designed to make the typing of superscripts and/or subscripts faster and easier. However, if would be possible to use a combination of the indented text function and the reverse index function to enter data column by column rather than row by row. However, during subsequent print-out the data would be printed column by column rather than row by row. This is not the most efficient manner of using a printer since the time taken to reverse-index the platen between columns is wasted (no printing occurs).
According to this invention, there is provided data entry apparatus for entering tables and controlling tabbing row by row and column by column during the entry of tables. The apparatus includes a keyboard, a tab rack, and a display having a cursor defining a data entry point. Included on the keyboard are a key to set tab stops in the tab rack, a code key, and a tab key for causing cursor movement to a following tab stop. For columnar work, an operator of the apparatus has two choices of entering tables through the keyboard. That is, following entry of one line of one table, the operator can depress the tab key and cause the cursor to be moved to the right along the same line to the next tab stop for the entry of a line of another table. If the same table is to be worked on, the operator can depress both the code key and the tab key. This will cause the cursor to be moved directly to the nearest tab stop to the left on the next line.
Therefore, an object of the present invention is to provide a data entry apparatus in which data can be entered conveniently column by column as well as row by row.
Another object of the present invention is to provide an improved data entry apparatus in which data can be entered as conveniently column by column as row by row and in which the entered data will be subsequently printed out row by row whichever way the data has been entered.